50 Best Fast Food Restaurants in Chicago

“Being from the suburbs traveling downtown can be an experience. This particular experience made our day. Moving our daughter into DePaul we came upon the owner of Red Light chicken who gave us a few pointers in parking near his establishment, after taking the time to help us find a spot he happily welcomed us with a free chicken sandwich which I’m happy to report was delicious. It was nice meeting you tonight and I’ll be certainly stopping by again - Fries are a game changer to!!!“

“Iconic!! Came here in 2009. Great food at a great price! If you come to Chicago, you have to try Jim’s!!“

“It was a very good place to eat for lunch and respectful workers“

“Food very good and customer service is great“

“I couldn’t stop saying wow over and over.

Food is out of this world delicious and the service is so friendly.

Got the fahsa lamb and minced beef dishes. The pita that comes with it is so soft and freshly warm.“

“The Best! The best fries, the best steak sandwich, the best hamburgers, the best everything!“

“Found metal in my food and the staff was Very Rude about it!“

“food good to eat fast under 5 min“

“Fun place to check out while in Chicago. The food was great!“

“what a great restaurant. the food was delicious and the staff was very friendly. it was a great way to end our day in Chicago“

“The hot dogs are one of a kind, OG Chicago beef“

“one of their employees samuel Hernandez Jr is a racist. he thinks he is a American. when ice show up you can thank him. with all the racist Hate he is spewing against his own people someone will call. I hope the owners don't support hate speech. we will see“

“We were looking for a late night bite to eat while visiting Chicago and Serena’s was the spot! Service was friendly and food was delicious! Highly recommend. Will definitely be back for our next visit.“

“I love the combination of healthy, quick, and relatively inexpensive that Pockets offers. Everything is whole wheat (pockets, pizzas, calzones) and baked in-house so always super fresh. Combine that with the numerous healthy ingredients and you have a winning formula for busy professionals looking for a nutritious option on the go. Don’t ever change Pockets!!“

“Great experience, very friendly environment.“

“Ordered the catfish, shrimp and chicken wings. Also the nachos. All super delicious. The only downside was that the dining area was too hot to eat comfortably. I am visiting out of town and ate at the location. Otherwise, the dining area was clean.“

“Simply delicious In Italian ice is heavenly, especially in the summer Burgers and everything else delicious Or a piece of heaven, Next Door“

“When it comes to hidden gems in The Windy City, Budacki's Drive In can be counted among them. It's practically tucked away in the Ravenswood neighborhood near a school, but quite an awesome find for quintessential Chi-Town staples such as the Italian beef and the red hot.

I have a cousin who grew up within walking distance of Budacki's so it's a huge part of his life story, even after he moved to the suburbs. That said, he tends to take me or my older brother here whenever either one of us come to visit from Texas. It's safe to say that we share his immense love for the nearly 50-year-old hole in the wall.

Up until Thursday, I had two visits. For my most recent one, I ordered the Letter A , or the red hot combo. Aside from a pair of what I believe are the best hot dogs in the world, the meal comes with fresh cut fries and a drink. I confess that I didn't get a good look on the price, but I can assure you that you get your money's worth.

Each of the red hots was made fresh and specific to my request. I wanted them dragged through the garden, and the kitchen staff delivered. What I sunk my teeth into are a Vienna beef decorated with a tomato, sport peppers, a pickle spear, onions and hints of salt and mustard. All of which are held together in a soft bun.

The dogs were paired with a delicious, abundant amount of fries. They were so good that I finished them even before the tube steaks themselves. In Chicago, it's nearly a law to keep your red hots free of ketchup and on your fries, but I ate my long taters without ketchup. That's how tasty they were. Before I forget, I should mention that there's an outdoor dining area for customers to enjoy their food at.

The neighborhood Budacki's is in has gone through several changes, but the restaurant has withstood the test of time. Sadly, however, the heir to the business, Jae Lee, recently passed away. And this review is dedicated to his memory.“

“Delicious food and great customer service!“

“Hands down punching the family and not just smacking your mama good chicken tenders that are juicy. Second, highly recommend the fantastic crinkle fries and Texas butter toast. Lastly, the sauces are out of this world 🌎 🌍“

“This place has great food. Went for Retirement Party. Food delicious and drinks made to perfection. Make sure you try catfish….yummy😊“

“Needed a place to grab quick lunch before heading out to our next adventure with my kids and parents and the service was amazing. Even though another person came in and started harassing the employee and us and ruined our meal the employees customer service was incredible as someone who has worked in customer service I understand but his professionalism goes above and beyond. I just want to say thank you for sticking up for my kids especially and family.“

“Delicious and authentic Mediterranean cuisine Highly recommend“

“Small and mighty. Had a fantastic bacon cheese burger and fries! Much needed in our neighborhood. My new spot.“

“Allll I have to say is YUMMMMYYYY to my tummy“

“Thank you so much Cafe El Menson for your generous donation to my kindergarten classroom today. My students really enjoyed the Arroz con Gandules. I cannot thank you enough!“

“Oh my God, if you want a great, fast food in Chicago for all you out of town that come from everywhere, choppers is One of The best fast food restaurant You can go the best burgers and the best Italian beef. Oh my God, let's not forget they famous Banana shakes the one I love and they famous steak fries 😋choppers for me 😋😋😋 fire 🔥“

“Amazing! GT’S Fast Food has the best gyro around! Clean,fast,friendly,ect ❤️“

“This is MUST any time we're around town.
The guys have been consistently making the best food and best conversation for 50+ years. My dad brought me as a kid and now I'm bringing mine.
This place is a REAL, ungentrified chicago eaterie.
Do not miss it!“

“shrimp is huge and it's cooked to order so worth the wait. I used to live in Chicago, now I live in Orlando Florida and came all the way here for the shrimp...absolutely good!!“

“Maggie was so incredibly kind, and gave great customer service to everyone I saw there. I was lucky I only had to wait 20 minutes for the chicken as I did not call ahead because I was passing it on my way to pick up my parents from midway. It was all so incredible! We tried the Italian beef, chili dog, fries, chicken boat. Most impressive was that my drive home was over an hour and the chicken was still hot and crispy! Highly recommend calling ahead though for chicken but either way worth the wait! The rest of the food items come out impressively fast! I was there @5:20pm on Tuesday“

“Absolutely the best Italian Beef sandwich on the south side, arguably the best in Chicago. The home made Giardiniera is also very good, with the perfect amount of heat. The sandwich is huge and the price is very good. Wish they had fresh cut fries. People working there are always nice. Small place, not a lot of seating, but has the old school Chicago vibe that I like. I live an hour away, but if I'm in the area I always stop in for a bite.“

“I love the shrimp, always fresh and very delicious every time!“

“That Ribeye Steak Sandwich is absolutely amazing! 🔥🔥🔥“

“the perch catfish and chicken wings are all yummy and on point. great deal for great food. you better go get you some. 😂“

“BOIIIIIIIIII TTTSSSS HOUND DOG BURGERSSSS WAS SOOOOO TUFFFF 😂😂🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥 ME AND DA BOIIISS WENT AND ORDERED THE HOUND DOG MEAL WIT MUSTARDD AND MA MOMMA AITE FRIES AND IT CAME IN JUST 6 7 MINUTES 🔥🔥🔥🔥 AND THEN ELVIS PRESLEY HIMSELF CAME AND SANG DA HOUND DOG SONG 🔥🔥🔥😩😩“

“since management changed the food has been way better and fresh!! i recommend this location!!“

“Very tasty, super moist and juicy without being difficult to eat in my car, friendly helpful staff. Definitely a great find in the burger desert that is Chicago. Way too expensive, but that’s because of the moron in the White House, not the business. Highly recommended.“

“I have no idea what to expect“

“Incredibly delicious Chicago dogs and milkshakes.“

“to the young man working on 08/14/2026 around 6-7PM who literally chased me down to give me my side of chipotle mayo and vinegar when i forgot them… you are doing gods work thank you so much and you need a raise immediately. absolutely wonderful“

“By far the best smoothies ever!“

“I had a wonderful experience at the Roma Italian beef and sausage restaurant. Their food was delicious and I recommend it to everyone!“

“Great Food. Great Service. The owner was so nice and gave someone a free meal just cause they needed it. Everyone was very generous! We came to visit from AR!“

“Great food and service. Wet clean“

“Fast and friendly service. Food was amazing and at a great price. Definitely a new favorite spot!“

“Italian beef with the hot peppers and meatball sandwich were terrific! If your near Chicago Little Italy grab a sandwich.“

“My first time at a Buona and the GM who took our order didn't steer us wrong. The Italian beef was delicious and the 99 cents for the Giardiniera was worth the extra kick of flavor. Thank you to everyone who made it fresh and promptly in our hands.“

“Everything was amazing! So happy we picked this spot for lunch!“

“Just came here for the first time to dine in! I’ve ordered on door dash multiple times their hotdogs which are always good.
The vibes are so nice and friendly here even the customers- everyone was so pleasant! I saw spaghetti with meatball on the menu and it peaked my interest lol I asked the worker how is it. He said it’s good! I asked if he thought I should get a hot dog or spaghetti. He said try the spaghetti. It was honestly great! It’s very affordable and hit the spot. I wouldn’t expect the spaghetti at a hot dog place to be so good! The meatballs were so delicious. The lady at the cashier with pink nails was so friendly and sweet as well. Honestly had such a nice time here and made my day 💕“